Before I was Even Born Alt Ending
by Myoujou
Summary: alternate ending to my fic BIWEB. the other must be read before this one, or at least up to chapter six. R&R, please
1. chap six

* * *

I'm happy. I got lots of good reviews about the last ending. I think you'll like this one too.  
  
I'm doing two scenes from their seventh year in this chapter. One is Christmas, and the other is graduation.  
  
This starts from halfway through the Sixth Chapter of BIWEB. Enjoy:  
  
"Dumbledore found a way to send me home," said Hermione, wiping the tears from her cheeks and sitting up.  
  
"Fine, then. Pack your bags, I'll see you around!" Severus put his face in his hands.  
  
"It's complicated, alright?" Hermione was yelling.  
  
"How? Why is it complicated? I just confessed my love for you, and you want to go back to Ron and Harry!"  
  
"It's complicated because," Hermione's voice quieted, "because I love you, too."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I love you, too!" Hermione put her face in her hands. "God help me, I shouldn't love you, I can't love you, but I do. And if I stay here any longer, then I won't be able to go home."  
  
"Then don't. Hermione, don't leave me. Stay here with me." Severus was on one knee beside her bed. Hermione smiled sadly as tears began to fall again.  
  
"I can't. I have a life, I have parents, friends, waiting for me to come home." She shook her head. "Severus, I need to tell you something. I lied."  
  
"About what?" Severus's eyes were filled with concern.  
  
"I'm not a Slytherin."  
  
Severus's brows furrowed. "What?" he looked confused.  
  
"I'm not Slytherin, I'm not even pureblood. I'm a muggle-born Gryffindor." She watched as emotions flashed over Severus's face. "I'm sorry. I... I guess I got tired of being put down all the time because my parents aren't wizards." She threw herself back onto the bed and sobbed once again.  
  
Severus got up and sat down on the bed beside her. "Hermione, If you think so little of me that you believe I would care about something like that, then you don't know me."  
  
"Yes, I do," she said, sitting up. "If I had said that I was in Gryffindor, would you still have gone out with me?"  
  
"Ye-"Severus stopped. "No. No, I wouldn't have. You're right." he looked into her eyes for a long moment, then leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers in a very brief kiss. Then he turned to leave.  
  
Hermione looked up at him, and a look of realization came over her face. "Severus," she said. The head boy turned to look at her. "I'm going to stay with you."

* * *

Christmas:  
  
"Severus, wake up! I want you to open my present!" Hermione knocked on his door.  
  
"Christ, woman, it's only six! I don't know about you, but I'm running on holiday time. Wake me in a few hours."  
  
"I'll holiday time your ass if you don't let me in! I never lock my door."  
  
"Yeah, well that's a lack of judgement on your part, isn't it?"  
  
"I swear, if you don't get up, I'm going to go give your present to Black! Maybe even Potter." Hermione heard footsteps, and smiled. She knew that would get him. He opened the door, and Hermione blushed. He was walking around in just his boxers. His six-pack was very well toned from playing quidditch. Hermione forced her eyes to look at his face. His not-too-happy face.  
  
"Fine, I will open your present." Hermione smiled, and his face softened. He sighed. "Come in." Hermione walked into his room.  
  
She jumped onto the bed and sat cross-legged, holding his present out to him. It was a small rectangle wrapped in green Christmas paper. He took it from her, and sat next to her. He reached under his pillow and pulled out a slightly smaller package, handing it to her.  
  
"You go first," said Hermione. Severus shrugged, and unwrapped her present. It was a picture of them. The picture was a wizarding one that was taken the day after Halloween in Hogsmeade. They were sitting against a tree on the ground beside the Shrieking Shack. Hermione was sitting in Severus's lap, with her cheek against his chest. He had his arm around her waist. Anyone who saw them would have known they were in love.  
  
Severus smiled, and looked up at Hermione. "I absolutely love it. I'm going to put it here," he said, putting it on his bedside table, "so that it's the first thing I see in the morning. Open yours."  
  
Hermione carefully unwrapped her present as the last shred of paper fell away, she smiled. It was a glass pendant in the shape of a teardrop on a chain. Suspended inside the pendant was a stone, which was a color that was everything and at the same time, nothing. It shone, but not with light. It was without a doubt the most beautiful thing Hermione had ever laid eyes on.  
  
"Do you like it?" asked Severus. Hermione nodded, and put her arms around him.  
  
"I love it. Would you?" she held the necklace out, which he took and put around her neck. The chain was just long enough to let it hang just above her breastbone. "Thank you," she said, giving him a kiss.  
  
"But we're missing the mistletoe," said Severus. Hermione smiled, and reached into the pocket on her jeans.  
  
"I've got us covered," she said, pulling out a small mistletoe arrangement. Severus smiled, and kissed her.

* * *

Skipping to graduation day:  
  
"And now," said Dumbledore, "I give your attention to This year's head boy, Severus Snape." He backed down from the podium as the room applauded. Severus stepped up, and cleared his throat.  
  
"Over the past seven years, we have matured. We have grown, not only as individuals, but also as one. On our first day at Hogwarts, we were all scared, whether we showed it or not. When we were split into the four houses, we supposed that was whom we were going to live with, be friends with, perhaps even lovers. I believe that this was an incorrect assumption on our parts. Because, no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you grow to do, I believe that we are connected. We are connected because we shared these halls for seven years. We are connected because in every house, you could find different versions of the same people. We are connected, because, we went to Hogwarts. And as the founders of this school were great, so are we." Severus smiled. "And now we take our next steps into the world together, as the one family we have become."  
  
As he stepped down, there was enormous applause from the audience. Dumbledore got back up and congratulated them one last time, and then the ceremony was over.  
  
Outside, Hermione rushed up to Severus. "Oh, that was fantastic," she said. "I almost cried!" Severus smiled.  
  
"You know, Hermione, now that we've graduated, there's nothing standing in our way anymore. We could..." he gulped, "get married...and have a family." Hermione gasped, and blinked back tears.  
  
"Severus, I would love to marry y-"  
  
"Excuse me, but Professor Dumbledore wants to see you two in his office right now." McGonagall was suddenly at their side. Hermione sighed, but nodded. She and Severus made their way up to his office.

* * *

"Professor, this isn't fair!" yelled Hermione. "I stayed to be with Severus! And now you're telling me I have to go?" she let out a frustrated scream and plopped back into her chair, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"Miss Granger, I told you that you could not interfere with your past the day you came to me with that decision. And I remind you, that you know too much about future events." He sighed, the twinkle gone from his eyes. "I am truly sorry."  
  
Severus seemed to be in shock. "When...when does she have to leave?" he asked.  
  
"By the end of the week."

* * *

Next time:  
  
"Hermione," said Dumbledore, with that knowing smile. "Go see him."  
  
Hermione smiled, and blushed. "It's been so long...Do you think he'll still want me?"  
  
Please review!  
  
Myoujou 


	2. chap seven

Okay, I'm really happy with all my reviews, but because I start school soon, the updates are going to come less often. I still have summer work to finish! Anywho, here's the next chappie!

Chapter Seven: Back to Hogwarts

Hermione smiled as she looked down upon Hogwarts School. It had been over twenty years since that day. She went away to a small wizarding town in America, where Severus wrote to her frequently. She had already explained that she couldn't write back, but it didn't take away the pain when his letters became less and less frequent.

But now, she had come back. Dumbledore had offered her the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but had told her not to arrive until September second, lest she run into her younger self. She was waiting for the exact moment when the Hermione of twenty-one years ago fell through the time slip. She was watching from behind a cloud as she hovered on her broom, a Nimbus Two Thousand and Five. She smiled as she remembered how Severus had taken her flying, and thus abolished all of her fears about flight.

Hermione watched as her younger self hit the bludger away, then as she fell, and as she disappeared. Hermione sighed, then flew around to the front door. She was supposed to meet Dumbledore in his office.

"Hermione," said Dumbledore with a broad smile on his face. "It has been a long time,"

"Yeah, it has. Too long. I've missed this old castle," Hermione smiled. "But I should be getting to work. I have lessons plans to write." She saw the knowing twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes. "And old acquaintances to greet. Oh, and I've changed my name to McKay. It was my mother's maiden name. So that no one in the older years would make the connection between my disappearance and, well, my arrival." She chuckled. "Either way, I do need to get to work. Classes start the day after tomorrow."

"Hermione," said Dumbledore, with that knowing smile. "Go see him."

Hermione smiled, and blushed. "It's been so long...Do you think he'll still want me?"

"Hermione, if you want my honest opinion, he missed you from the moment you left. You are the reason he is so cold. Even when he was in the dark lord's service, he was not like that. You need to go see him."

* * *

Severus sighed as he crumpled another sheet of parchment. It, like so many others, had started with the words, 'Dearest Hermione,' "Why do I do this to myself?" he asked to no one in particular. "I'm never going to see her again. She no doubt has forgotten me and married some handsome American. I don't know why I put myself through this torture." He threw the parchment in the fireplace and put his head facedown on his desk.

It had been twenty years, and he couldn't forget her. Every time she had appeared in his classroom, his heart had twanged. But he knew for a fact that she was now gone, back to meet him, and have him fall in love with her all over again. Maybe now, he could forget about her. Maybe he could move on...

"So, do you have a girlfriend now, or are you still playing iron shorts?" It couldn't be. She couldn't be here. Severus lifted his head from the desk. Hermione was standing at the door to his office, leaning against the doorframe with a smile on her face. He smiled broadly and practically leaped over his desk he was in such a rush to get to her.

She ran over to meet him halfway and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her back with as much force as she was and put his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. When they broke apart, Hermione rested her head on his chest and tightened her arms. "I missed you so, so much."

"I missed you more," he said, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. "I didn't think I was ever going to see you again. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, because I couldn't have come just to see you, right?" Hermione smiled and looked up into his eyes. "I'm the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Ah, once again, my attempts to get the job have been foiled." He hugged her tightly, then let his arms drop. "Though I think you are a much better candidate for the job." Hermione blushed slightly.

Severus smiled, and sighed happily. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. "I missed you," he said.

"You said that already." Hermione smiled. "Um, I only came down to let you know I was here...I have lesson plans to work on...so, I'll see you at dinner?"

Severus nodded, but was tempted to never, ever let her out of his sight again. "I'll see you at dinner."

* * *

The next two hours were completely bland for Hermione. She had finished this term's lesson plans in about half an hour, and was now practically banging her head against the wall in boredom. She wondered if she should go find Ron and Harry, but decided to get Dumbledore's advice before she did. And there was still an hour until dinner. She leaned back in her chair. She vaguely wondered if Harry and Ron had gotten her letter yet.

Hermione sat up straighter when she heard a knock on her office door. "Come in," she said pleasantly.

"Hermione?" said an older woman's voice from the door. Hermione looked up to see McGonagall standing in her doorway. Hermione rose from her seat and crossed the room to embrace her former professor in a friendly hug. "It has been a long time," said Minerva.

"Yes, probably too long. I would have come and saved you all from that awful Umbridge woman two years ago, if it weren't for the whole 'messing with my past' thing." she smiled. "So, Minerva, how have you been?"

"I have been fine, thank you for asking. And yourself?"

"I'm better than I have been in a long time," said Hermione, with a dreamy look on her face.

"Ah," said Minerva. "You've been to see Severus." She smiled as the younger woman blushed.

"Is it that obvious?" Hermione laughed as Minerva nodded. "I'm absolutely hopeless."

"Not hopeless. You're in love," said Minerva. Hermione laughed lightly.

"Aren't they the same?" the two women laughed. "I am glad to be back, though. It's odd to think that I haven't been here in over twenty years, but I was here just this morning." She had a thoughtful look on her face. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did, but feel free to ask again." Hermione smiled.

"What do you think I should do about Harry and Ron?" Minerva sighed.

"I think you should let them make the connection on their own. They're smart boys."

Hermione nodded. "They think I'm coming back in January. I'm sure when I don't, they'll be able to put two and two together." The two women talked for a while, then went down to dinner.

Hermione sat down beside Severus, who automatically put his arm around her waist. "You're lucky there's a tablecloth so the students can't see you, or I'd tell you to drop it," she said under her breath.

"No you wouldn't," he replied casually. Hermione smiled

"You're right. I wouldn't trade this for the world." They were talking in whispers, but McGonagall, who sat on Severus's other side, and Flitwick, who was siting next to Hermione, could hear.

"Neither would I."

"Oh, get a room," said McGonagall. Hermione blushed, but smiled.

"It's not my fault he won't keep his hands off me," she said, then began to eat.

* * *

Next Time:

"I'm not letting go of you ever again."

"Severus, I've been thinking..." Hermione looked down at the ground. "About what you said to me the day we graduated..."

review!


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